Binghamton University Announces Visiting Practitioners in Peace and Conflict Resolution Fall Lineup

This Fall, the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention is welcoming three visiting practitioners for a week-long stay on campus. They will meet with faculty and students, visit classes and give public presentations during that time. All three public presentations are free to attend and open to the public.

“I-GMAP’s visiting practitioner program is one way that we work to bring the world of atrocity prevention practice to Binghamton University’s faculty and students. This semester, we’re thrilled to welcome visitors from Morocco, South Korea, Sri Lanka and the United States. They represent just a sampling of the diversity and vast scope of prevention work happening around the world today.” said Kerry Whigham, co-director of I-GMAP and associate professor of genocide and mass atrocity prevention.

Saji Prelis

“The Unexpected Gift of Conflict: How Intergenerational Trust Powers Transformative Change”

6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, in Classroom Wing (CW) 329

The first visiting practitioner is Saji Prelis, an expert in youth movements in conflict and transition environments. Prelis has more than 25 years of experience working with youth movements, youth-focused organizations, governments and partners, building intergenerational trust and collaboration across more than 35 countries. His accomplishments include co-leading successful advocacy for the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2250, 2419 and 2535 while serving as Co-Chair of the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security. Prelis also serves as the Director of Children & Youth Programs at Search for Common Ground, which is an international conflict transformation organization. He is also the recipient of the distinguished Luxembourg Peace Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Peace Support. While at Binghamton, Prelis will also be facilitating “Tomorrow’s Peace Today: A Youth Workshop.” Register here to attend the workshop.

David Mandel-Anthony

Re-Homing Atrocity Prevention: Imagining a Future for U.S. Foreign Policy

6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in Lecture Hall (LH) 004

In October, Binghamton University will welcome David Mandel-Anthony, former Deputy to the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice in the Office of Global Criminal Justice at the U.S. Department of State. Mandel-Anthony provided expert policy advice to the Ambassador-at-Large and senior Department leadership. He previously led and oversaw portfolios to advance U.S. foreign policy on transitional justice, international and hybrid courts, atrocity prevention, and international humanitarian and human rights law as Acting Director and Senior Advisor in Global Criminal Justice. Mandel-Anthony was also an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught transitional justice and has published on emerging trends related to accountability for atrocity crimes.

Hanna Song

Keeping Memory Alive: The Struggle for North Korean Human Rights in South Korea

6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in Lecture Hall (LH) 004.

The last visitor will be Hanna Song, a researcher, activist and human rights defender who documents violations in North Korea. She is currently the Executive Director of the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) in Seoul, South Korea, after being appointed in 2024. NKDB is responsible for building and maintaining the largest repository in the world of human rights violations against North Koreans. Before becoming Executive Director, Song spent more than nine years as a researcher, where she contributed to the repository, published reports on human rights conditions in the military, humanitarian assistance sent to North Korea and North Korea’s obligations under United Nations mechanisms.

For more information on our visiting practitioners, please go here.